Burning Winds
by Akamori Uzumamein
Summary: Revenge is bestowed upon Konohagakure no Sato, as Naruto's soul comes back with a burning desire for death. (All he wanted was to pass down a legacy and get acknowledged. "And the only thing that can be passed down to you…is hatred.") [AU] HIATUS
1. A Jinchūriki's Fate

_Burning Winds_

* * *

"Jinchūriki are rather interesting," Pein mused out of the blue. "Their souls are connected to the bijū, and their lives are connected like tied ropes: cut one side and it all falls down."

Konan frowned, looking up from inspecting Uzumaki Naruto's battered and half-dead body. "What do you mean?"

"Hm, nothing," Pein mumbled. "Begin the sealing, waste no more time pondering."

"Aye, aye, sir!" Zetsu chirped. "**Pein**...**you realize that with only five members**, **the sealing will take a week at most**, **right**? He has a point! We could be in big trouble if Konoha interrupts!"

"Which is why I am going to order you, White Zetsu, to dispatch as many clones as possible," Pein stated. "Hold off approaching shinobi and kill them if they get within fifteen hundred meters of the hideout."

"Sir, yes, sir! **Very well then**." Both Zetsu's disappeared for a few brief moments before rising from the ground again. "All clones have been dispatched."

"Good. Now we can _officially_ start the sealing." Pein grabbed Naruto's body, throwing him out in the middle of the dark clearing that posed as Akatsuki's main base that resided in the heart of Amegakure no Sato. Pein performed the tiger, snake, rat, ox, dog and ram hand seals. "_Fūinjutsu: Genryū Kyūfūjin_."

The statue's jaw dropped, ten blue dragons snaking their way to the unconscious blonde. Upon contact, they turned into a clump of red. Naruto's mouth and eyes opened up wide, and the red bubbling chakra spilled out of his seal, ripping away the Kyûbi's soul from his body as the demonic statue took back what was once its own.

* * *

"Has Naruto been found yet?" Hatake Kakashi questioned the ANBU from his hospital bed.

The rabbit masked female ANBU shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rokudaime-sama. He has seemingly disappeared off of the map. The search is getting difficult to continue, though. We've been doing this for seven days."

Kakashi sighed heavily, staring out to the fallen ans half-built village from his hospital bed. The attack on Konoha has been devastating. Tsunade was put into a coma, Shizune died and Naruto was taken by Akatsuki for the bijū he held. Almost all of the civilians were dead and half of the shinobi and ninja of the village were either a bloody corpse or simply injured. Kakashi took the position of Rokudaime before Danzō could even move his muscle jaw to 'negotiate the position'. How Kakashi survived _his_ affair with Pein was a mystery in its own, but he was here.

"Your...orders, sir?" Rabbit asked hesitantly.

"...Rest for a few hours. Everyone who is able enough to carry themselves is to help around," Kakashi ordered. "Dispatch all able ANBU to protect what remains of Konoha."

Rabbit nodded, a grim look forming on her face under her rabbit-like mask. "...Yes, sir." She took her leave via shunshin, her grim expression still adorning her features.

Not even a second later, the door slid open. Haruno Sakura stepped in, a clipboard and pen in hand and a lab coat over her shoulders. She smiled sadly, her green eyes glazed over with exhaustion. "How are you feeling, sensei? Any headaches?"

Kakashi gave her an eye smile, shaking his head. "Only when I stay up for an hour too long."

"Sensei, you shouldn't even be up for that long," Sakura scolded. Her eyes narrowed. "...Are you reading Icha Icha?"

He snickered nervously, giving the pink haired chûnin double eye smiles. "Maybe..."

Sakura sighed heavily, writing something down onto her clipboard. "Is there anything _else_ that I should know? Are there any _other_ rules you're breaking...?"

"Nope," Kakashi replied. He dropped his eye smile, his face turning serious. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, all my injuries are healed up," Sakura murmured absently.

The temporary Hokage shook his head. "You know what I mean, Sakura."

She stopped writing, her brow furrowing. The kunoichi was obviously troubled. "Well, I...I'm...I'm more confused than worried, in all honesty."

"How come?"

"I keep wondering," Sakura mumbled, "...why didn't anyone..._help_ Naruto?"

"...Jinchūriki live hard lives," Kakashi murmured. "People either see the demon, and fear them, or they see the power, and want to abuse it. They find it very hard to find _real_ friends, ones that would see the _humanity_ in them. The shinobi and civilians see the demon in Naruto, and fear him. However, Akatsuki see the power in him, and nobody cared enough to save Naruto from the fate of a jinchūriki when they get caught."

All of a sudden, an ANBU ran into the room, breathless. "Sir, we have detected high levels of bijū chakra in Ame!"

"The Kyūbi's?" Kakashi asked.

"There is no mistaking it." The ANBU sucked in a deep and shaky breath. "It is _very_ likely."

* * *

Sakura, Sai, Yamato and Kakashi jumped from branch to branch, focused and ready for any kind of considered combat. They were slow; they had to be. Kakashi was still recovering from getting a nail to the head.

Ten blurs of white jumped out, but Sakura didn't hesitate to bash their skulls; a sickening crack filled the air, and the white things fell to the ground.

"What are those things?" Sai asked. "Are they clones?"

"They aren't Kage Bushin, their signatures don't feel like it," Yamato said. "They feel individual, but they're all the _same_."

"It's probably some freaky jutsu they created. Don't it bother you," Kakashi said. "Focus on getting Naruto back."

"And we are, Rokudaime-sama," Sai stated.

"ANBU have been taking down Ame's forces, so it should be easy to get to Naruto." Kakashi's cold tone made Sai shut up rather quickly.

"We are heading into the heart of Akatsuki, sensei," Sakura pointed out. "What about Pein?"

"He is likely weak from his attack. Thanks to Naruto, he is down to two bodies, his own and the Deva Path," Yamato pointed out. "I'm not sure about the other members, but it shouldn't be too problematic...or at least, I hope so..."

Sakura pursued her lips._ Hold on, Naruto, we're coming..._

* * *

The body of Uzumaki Naruto dropped as the sealing finished. Without question, the hologram of Tobi disappeared, taking his leave without another word. Konan jumped down from her place and Zetsu took his leave via sinking into the stone. That left the young blonde Uzumaki and Pein.

"Now the world," he murmured, "...shall know pain." He jumped down from his spot, desummoning the complete statue as it sunk back.

"Will we let the boy live?" Konan asked softly.

"Whether or not he lives or dies is completely up to him," Pein responded. "He will be too weak without that bijū inside of him. We shouldn't worry about it too much."

"Whatever you say." Konan sighed, and dissipated into multiple sheets of white paper.

Naruto grit his teeth together, the pain that the extraction left behind still lingering in his entire body; each cell screamed at him to just _stop_, and for a few moments, he was tempted to just stop.

"Naruto!"

The voice of Sakura carried to his ears, and he turned his head, twitching from the ridiculously massive amount of pain it caused. He grit his teeth even harder, both out of anger and pain._ They didn't..._

"...hear me, Naruto?"

The blonde didn't reply, he just continued staring with blank and glazed over eyes. A tickle on his chest as Sakura started using Shōsen Jutsu.

_They didn't even bother..._

"...Low pulse...death...Rokudaime."

The voices were fading from Naruto's ears; his vision was blurring, dark shades of color becoming one blurry shade of black.

"...dying...save him...!"

"Calm down...no..."

The blonde's cerulean eyes slowly trailed over to the last voice. The voice of Nakamagoroshi no Kakashi. His iris's hardened, turning into a deadly glare. Kakashi's eye slightly widened when he stared into the cold blue eyes of his student. He knew that glare: the glare that said "die".

Sakura sniffed, feeling the blonde's heartbeat become fainter and fainter by each passing second. She swallowed nervously, sweat dripping down her brow as she attempted to keep her best friend and team mate in the world of the living.

"...How is he?" Yamato asked softly and hesitantly.

"H-he's barely alive..." Sakura whispered. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She sobbed. "He...he's practically..."

* * *

"...Dead." The word rolled off of Kakashi's tongue as he stared at the memorial stone. "I apologize sensei...I failed you..." His eye trailed over a third name. "I'm sorry...can you forgive me... Naruto...?"

* * *

**Don't expect much from this.**

**Peace! :3**


	2. Colliding Winds

**I HATH RETURN!**

**Guest: thank you :3**

**Guest: chapter two is right here. Thanks :3**

**alexwilliams874: unique, isn't it? Thanks for your review :3**

**Cha0ticM3ss: lol, here ya go. Thanks for your review :3**

* * *

_Chapter 2_

* * *

_Four__ years later..._

* * *

"You took your time."

Senju Tsunade looked to her left. Haruno Sakura stood there, a sad—but relieved and happy—smile spread across her lips. The Godaime smiled thinly, her eye lids feeling like metal. "How long have I been out?"

"F-four years," her student stated weakly. "You fell into a coma after Pein's attack... A lot of people died and the village is still being rebuilt to his day. Kakashi took over for you, and you can take over again... If you're up to it, that is."

Tsunade swallowed. "I-I see... And what about Naruto? Did he beat Pein? Where's Shizune?"

Sakura's tired and grim expression turned sad and distant. "Shizune was killed when the village was destroyed and Naruto..."

The former Hokage stared in shock, the familiar feeling of sorrow rising up to her throat. She sniffed, tears threatening to fall. "He was caught by Akatsuki..." It wasn't even a statement—it was sort of obvious, seeing Sakura's expression.

"B-but we have a little bit of good news," the pink haired kunoichi said. "We have many new shinobi. The civilization is flourishing and many travelers have settled down in Konoha. Though it is still being rebuilt, the village is doing great."

Tsunade smiled weakly. "That's good to hear. Anything else?"

"Sasuke came back." Sakura brightened up a tiny bit. "He returned a week or two after...his death and became a shinobi of Konoha again. He is still atoning his sins as an ANBU, but he should be retired in another few months."

"That's good to hear," Tsunade agreed. Her stomach rumbled. "...Looks like I need something to eat."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I'll go ahead and get you some chicken soup. How 'bout that?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

Hatake Kakashi stared at a bingo book—specifically page sixty-six. "So he went from rank A to S? Who declared it?"

"...The Raikage did." The ANBU—who is dubbed as Kuro—was hesitant in his answer. This new criminal has only been around for six months and already he has reputation that could rival the Sannin's. "This man was able to rival Darui, and he is the apparent successor of A. Also, rumor has it he is as strong as A himself. You know how strong that man is, sensei."

"Damn, he's becoming a problem. Not to mention a potential national threat," Kakashi growled. He narrowed his eye, staring down the piece of paper like it was his enemy. "The _only _real thing we know is his appearance, height, age and weight. He's only shown four skills—Kuroi Kaminari, one Yōton jutsu, one Dōton Jutsu, and Shōsen Jutsu."

Kuro nodded grimly. "A and Darui only know how to use Kuroi Kaminari, too. So how he knows these things is a complete mystery."

"He could be organized," the temporary Hokage said. "This guy could have branches of spy's _anywhere_."

"I don't think that that's the case," the dark haired ANBU said. "If he did, then wouldn't his subordinates do the dirty work? Sensei, you're looking into this too much. Calm down—stop and think."

Kakashi sighed. "Maybe I should just take a nap—"

"Anything but that." Kuro rolled his eyes under his snake-like porcelain mask. "You're two weeks behind on paperwork."

"Party pooper," the unofficial Rokudaime mumbled. "You're dismissed."

"Alright, see you later sensei." Kuro nodded and disappeared via Shunshin no Jutsu, leaving his superior and sensei to ponder over the newly S-ranked criminal that only showed his masked face six months ago.

* * *

"Tsunade...I see you're finally awake."

Said kunoichi looked towards the window, almost spilling her spoonful of soup. She blinked in confusion, staring at the black haired ANBU. "Who might you be?"

"I am not surprised you haven't met me officially," he mused half to himself. "I am Kuro, otherwise known as Uchiha Sasuke."

Tsunade smiled brightly. "Sasuke, huh... I remember hearing Naruto talking a lot about bringing you back home." Her expression slightly dimmed, her hazel eyes becoming distant. "You should have heard him...Kuro. It was like you were his whole world."

Kuro's nose twitched underneath his mask. "So I've been told."

The Godaime glanced back at her chicken soup, taking another spoonful of food. "So how are you doing, finally being back home?"

"Took some time to readjust to 'home'. Though the past memories haunt me every now and then...I'd say I'm doing fine. So far, at least," Kuro responded. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry." Tsunade took another bite of her chicken soup. "And a bit weak. But that's expected when one falls into a four year coma."

The ANBU Uchiha nodded his agreement. "Anyways, I've gotta get going. It was nice to officially meet you, Tsunade-san."

The Senju nodded, taking another bite of her soup. She glanced at Sasuke. "Same with yo—"

But Uchiha Sasuke was already gone.

* * *

Kuro panted, leaning on his knee's as sweat spilled down his pale face. "T-that was close..." He looked around, observing his surroundings. The 'Uchiha' was somewhere at the north western border of the ninja-filled continent—over two hundred miles away from Konoha. "No wonder I'm exhausted..."

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Said shinobi's head snapped over towards the voice. An ANBU stood a few meters behind him on the other side of the stream running through the young and thin greenery—specifically a _Konoha_ ANBU. He wore the exact same outfit; he had the exact same mask shape and design, not to mention, exact same hair style.

"Or should I say...imposter? Though I would prefer the latter, it's up to you." The _real_ Uchiha Sasuke activated his Mangekyō, baring teeth in rage and confusion.

The imposter started laughing uncontrollably, holding his stomach and slapping his thigh in amusement.

"What is so funny?" Sasuke hissed.

"I'm sorry!" the imposter cried in amusement. He sighed, straightening up and turning serious in an instant—like he was never amused in the first place. "It's just ironic that I would run into the real Uchiha Sasuke."

"Your point?" The Uchiha unsheathed his sword, glaring at the imposter. "I am not one to be toyed with. Are you underestimating me?!"

The imposter chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. "No, no. You have exceeded a Sannin, if I'm correct. I wish not fight, but rather to just mess around—play with a few shinobi. That's what I've been doing for the past six months. Though I am just about finished. My plans...well, I'm not gonna spoil them."

Sasuke clenched his jaw, trying to keep his cool. How dare this imposter opposed as an Uchiha! "Who are you?"

"I hear the media is calling me Tanuki, or Kitsune," the imposter said. "I find that interesting, you know? That's another ironic thing, too. But, you know, sometimes irony is good." The man chuckled again. "Anyways, I have wasted enough of your time, Sasuke-san. Until next time."

The twenty year old Uchiha blinked. "Hold on!" But his imposter did not reply—he just disappeared in a poof of smoke in the manner a Kage Bushin would.

* * *

**"Tanuki" means "raccoon"; "Kitsune" means "fox". For those of you who don't know, "Kuro" is Japanese for "black".**

**I'm glad people liked this story so far. It makes me happy :D**

**No, this does not mean I am stopping ODS (Of Demons and Shinobi). I just have a bit of writers block on chapter 15 :(**

**Peace! :3**


	3. A Silent Scream of Revenge

**Cha0ticM3ss: I'm doing this off of a whim. So I'd be shocked to write a chapter with 1700+ words...thanks for your review :3**

**TableTop: thanks. I've been getting into the supernatural and ideas just keep popping in my head that includes ghosts, spirits, demons and angels and whatnot. Stupid Supernatural...thanks for your review :3**

**Onto chapter three x3**

**(edit: I fixed the grammar for this chapter)**

* * *

_Chapter 3_

* * *

The day was cloudy and moist; the sky threatened to cry out all of the rain it absorbed from the many days before. It was a rare weather in Hi no Kuni.

Rokudaime Hokage Kakashi didn't mind the rain. He _liked _it, matter of fact. It was liked Mother Nature understood him and cried _for_ him.

"Sensei."

Kakashi looked away from his office window. He blinked. "Kuro, what are you doing back here again?" _Besides, didn't you take a mission after you left...?_

"Again?" Kuro echoed. "Sensei I just got back from a mission in Suna."

Kakashi's eye widened. "What?"

* * *

"**You** **really shouldn't be running around like that**; **it's careless and stupid**, **idiot**." Black Zetsu sneered in annoyance, glaring with his round yellow eyes in disgust.

White Zetsu giggled. "Ah, don't be such a party pooper! I just wanna have fun!"

"Black Zetsu has a point." Madara jumped down from his tree perch, his orange flame mask clashing with his short black hair. "The statue is not working for some reason and I am not gonna waste my time playing cat and mouse with the nations."

White Zetsu pouted. "Alright, alright. I'll stop."

"**No**, **you won't**," Black Zetsu accused.

"Hm, mean." His white counterpart crossed his arms, his pout becoming a full blown puppy dog face.

"That will not work," Madara snapped.

White Zetsu dropped the face. "Dang it!"

* * *

"An imposter." Nara Shikaku sighed. "Troublesome."

"Agreed," Kakashi mumbled. "Shikaku, I want you to keep a sharp eye out. Tell the rest of the clan heads, too. Including Sasuke."

"Understood." He nodded half to himself, mentally noting to do that after his afternoon nap. "Did he pose as Sasuke? You seem skeptical, Hokage-sama."

"He did," the Rokudaime replied. He rubbed his temples. "The imposter was in my office a few hours ago. He had the exact same signature, exact same tone of voice and exact same knowledge of Konoha Sasuke has."

"How did he do that?" Shikaku asked.

"I have no clue. But whatever kind of freaky jutsu it is, I highly doubt that it's a Henge," Kakashi stated tiredly. "...Follow your orders. You are dismissed."

The Nara nodded. He turned and walked out of the office, his eyes flashing golden for a second before reverting back to his original coal black shade.

* * *

Haruno Sakura stared down at the grave; an orchard and sunflower rested in the flower holders, each fresh with morning dew drops. "Hi...Naruto... It's been a while, hasn't it...?"

Though the jōnin did not expect an answer, she continued anyways.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit," she murmured. "It's been busy the past few days at the hospital." She put her hand on her stomach with a small smile. "Though I have great news. Tsunade woke up. She's readjusting and stuff, but she's becoming accustomed."

Sakura chewed her bottom lip, feeling a lump form in her throat. "She's having trouble without you being around to pester her, though..."

Silence.

"...But...that's not all," the kunoichi added. Her smile slightly widened. "I'm expecting."

Once again, silence was her response.

"Anyways, I need to get going." She stuffed her gloved hands in her lab coat pockets. "I'll see you soon, alright?" Then she disappeared in a quick shunshin.

_"Sakura?"_ The lithe and tiny voice drifted into empty air, but it did not give up. _"The next time she comes... I will kill her..."_

* * *

Both Zetsu's were reunited as one body again—White Zetsu was oddly quiet, though. It bothered both Black Zetsu and Madara. Usually by now, the energetic moron would be ranting about _something_.

"Where are we going?" White Zetsu finally asked.

"To Nagato," Madara said. "My plans can never go into motion if the statue won't function right."

"How is Nagato-san going to help?" Zetsu chimed.

"I'm going to let him use the bijū inside of the statue for a short while—just until I figure out why the hell it's not transforming into the Jūbi," he explained.

Zetsu nodded. "I see, I s—"

But the white counterpart was cut off when he coughed up a glob of red blood.

Madara stared in shock, stopping dead in his tracks. _Zetsu isn't made of flesh...!_

White Zetsu gurgled, splitting apart from his black counterpart. He jerked and convulsed, wheezing for air and coughing out scary amounts of blood he shouldn't even have.

"**What the hell**...?" Black Zetsu murmured.

The white counterpart cried out in pain as a blue light shot out of his eyes, leaving behind burned sockets. Then, he fell limp; the blue light hovered over his body, tiny whispers drifting to their ears.

"What is that thing?" Madara whispered.

Suddenly, the blue light shot at the two, leaving behind a streak of light. Madara dodged just in time, but the blue light made a sharp turn. It shot at the Uchiha's ribs, but it missed again as Madara jumped up.

Black Zetsu sunk into the ground, his head poking out between the curve of a tree branch and a trunk; he stopped moving all together, observing the half-assed battle from above.

There was a whisper that became louder and louder. It became shouts seconds later, crying out for something, _"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"_

The now screaming blue light's voice became loud; reaching to the point of where it was as booming as a bijū's shouting voice. Madara covered his ears, cringing from the unbearable screech of repeating the same word.

Suddenly, there was a blast of sound, flattening all of the tree's and throwing back both Zetsu's and Madara—and its agonizing screams were scarred into their brains.

* * *

Cerulean blue eyes snapped open, and a pulse of energy reigned upon Konoha. _"Tanuki..is dead..."_ The spirit softly chuckled, soon turning into maniacal laughter that never stopped for many, many minutes.

And then there was silence.

* * *

_Four months later..._

* * *

Sakura rubbed her swelled stomach, and there was the tiniest of kicks under her right breast. Her smile slightly widened. Little unborn Sarade's first kick.

"Hey, Sakura." The voice of her master caught her attention; the pink haired kunoichi glanced over her shoulder to the Senju. The Sannin smiled slightly. "How are you and Sarade?"

Sakura smiled back. "She just kicked for the first time."

"Awesome," Tsunade said. Her smile faded. "Are you planning on visiting his grave again?"

"Yeah," Sakura replied. "It's been almost three months since I last visited. It's been oddly busy with the shinobi visiting more than usual."

"I hear Suna is getting hostile," Tsunade stated. "But that's all I know."

"Maybe Gaara isn't happy about something and is blaming us," Sakura guessed. "After all, Naruto was our connection to peace with Suna..."

"Actually, Gaara became fatally ill."

Both kunoichi's glanced towards the entrance. Sasuke—or Kuro—stood there, leaning against the wall next to the sliding door.

"What? Seriously?" Sakura asked in surprise. "Did he step down?"

"He was forced to, actually." Sasuke walked up to the two girls. "That's why most of my missions are in Kaze no Kuni—it's to try and keep Suna-nin off of Konoha soil without shedding blood. But as you can see...it's not working. Border patrols are being attacked left and right."

"Who's the new Rokudaime Kazekage, then?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke sniffed. "Kurosawa Zaraki."

* * *

"Zaraki-sama, are you sure it is wise to wager war on the leaf?" Sabaku no Kankuro asked.

Karosawa Zaraki was a man of intelligence and strength—he looked like it, too. With his black hair, pale skin and dark gray eyes, it just spelled 'strong'. Zaraki sighed. "Konoha has been causing us problems, both personal and financial. And I know that Gaara-sama was once tightly bonded with Konoha, but now I am reigning Kazekage. I intend to settle things."

Sabaku no Temari frowned. "Rokudaime-sama...we can't exactly afford war here."

"As I said before, I, Kurosawa Zaraki, am reigning Kazekage. Am I being doubted by my own advisors?" Zaraki's smooth and deep voice was hard as diamonds—and it held a slight offensive element to it.

"N-no," Temari murmured.

Zaraki smirked. "You two are dismissed. And tell Gaara that I wish him well, alright?"

"O-of course," Kankuro stammered. The two siblings were quick to leave.

Moments later, Zaraki flicked his hand. Though he got no open resonse, two presence's left the room. A brief second later, a swirl appeared in front of the desk, and Uchiha Madara was standing there, arms crossed and weapons hidden under his black cloak.

"Madara-sama." Zaraki nodded his greetings. "Been a while. Four months at most, correct?"

"I am not here to exchange pleasant news," Madara snapped. "Four months ago, White Zetsu has died a mysterious death. He coughed up red blood and his eyes were burned out. I don't know how it happened, but something came out of him—a blue light. I know you have intelligence, Zaraki. I want you to research it ASAP."

Zaraki nodded. "I understand."

And then there was only one shinobi left in the room.

* * *

**100% off of a whim (lol)**

**"Kurosawa": "black swamp"**

**"Zaraki": (made myself look it up) "grow late" or "night watch"; "tree"**

**Peace! :3**


	4. An Explosion of Revolutions

**Samhain Ootsutsuki: thanks :3**

**anarcyintokio: thanks :3 I appreciate it. And yeah, it's meant to be like that. Thanks for your review :3**

**Cha0ticM3ss: this one was originally 1700+ words, but I had to rewrite it there times. Then I got mad and just slapped this down. Lol, thanks for your review :3**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

* * *

A little blue light floated over a grave, emitting a glow onto the stone. It flickered, and sunk into the grass. A second later, there was a faint pulse of energy, and a transparent figure rose out of the soil. The blue ball of light floated in the center of the ghostly figure's stomach, its outlines flickering every now and then.

The spirit's figure became solid, revealing it to be a young twenty year old man with blonde spiky hair, tanned skin, cerulean eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek. His calm expression split into a wild and psychotic grin. "I wonder... Who should die first?"

* * *

Sai sipped his tea, quietly reading a book on how to sweep a girl off her feet. _Properly_.

"What'cha reading?"

The jōnin's head snapped up, quickly tucking away the book. He scanned the newcomer, and smiled. "Ah, Ino. Good to see you, how have you been?"

Ino smiled back. She sat across from Sai, setting her dango in between them. "I'm doing good. I see your social skills have become more improved."

"Somewhat," he agreed. "It's a working progress."

"Let me guess," the Yamanaka said. "That was another book on how to sweep a girl off of her feet?"

Sai was silent for a few moments, his smile stuck on his face. "Ah... You got me...?"

Ino giggled. "As expected." She took a bite of some dango, her amused smirk still glued to her face.

Sai opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when directed bloodlust was shot at the two—and then the dango shop exploded.

* * *

The sound of wood splintering and explosive tags exploding caught everyone's attention. The closest shinobi and kunoichi rushed to the scene.

Tenten pushed a beam off of a blonde haired woman. Her dark gray eyes widened. "Ino!"

Said Yamanaka groaned, waking up from her knock out. She shot up quickly. "Sai! Where is he?!"

"Over here, Ino-san, Tenten-san!"

Both girls turned their heads toward the familiar voice of Rock Lee. He had and unconscious Sai at his feet. The pale skinned jōnin had a gash on his ankle and forehead; crimson liquid gushed down his head, staining his hair and skin.

Ino quickly rushed up to him and started using Shōsen Jutsu on him. After a few seconds, she slightly relaxed. "That should do. Wake him up, though. We need to find the suspect."

"Right." Tenten looked around. Brave civilians and medic-nin were assisting the injured, pushing away splintered wood and other materials.

"Do you see him, Tenten-san, Ino-san?" Lee asked.

Ino shook her head. "I can't sense anything, either."

"Hey! Are you guys alright?"

The three ninja turned their heads over towards the newcomer. Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru were standing a few meters away from the trio, both covered in dirt.

"Kiba, you're a mess," Tenten dead panned.

He looked sheepish for a moment before looking around at the crumbled and beaten up dango shop. "What happened?"

"Me and Sai were just sitting and eating when it suddenly exploded," Ino explained. "We—"

A high pitched sound of wind chakra filled the air. Everyone conscious was quick to plug their ears to block out the sound, heads whipping left and right to find the source of sound.

"Up!" Kiba shouted.

Lee, Tenten, Ino, Kiba and Akamaru looked up to the evening sky. All of their eyes widened in shock. A figure was floating a few feet above the crumbled shop. In their hand was a blue ball of fire—not chakra, fire. And surrounding it was near-invisible blades of wind shaped like a shuriken.

"T-that's Rasenshuriken, right?" Tenten murmured.

The attacker threw their technique, aiming straight for Sai.

"Lee! Sai!" Tenten shouted.

The taijutsu user quickly picked Sai up, jumping away onto another roof. The ball of fire hit the ground, but it exploded into a blue-white ball of fire and energy that attempted to engulf surrounding civilians and shinobi.

"_Kamui_!" In a swirl, the explosion was reduced to nothing but a wisp of dry dirt.

Everybody glanced over towards the roof next to the one Lee and Sai stood on. Hatake Kakashi stood there, scarred eye open to reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Hokage-sama! Thank goodness your here, I thought that explosion would kill us," Kiba said. He grinned. "Good to see ya, by the way."

Kakashi ignored him, though. His eye trailed over to the faint and vaguely familiar figure that floated over the rubble. "Anyone know what that thing is?"

"No," Tenten replied. "But it used—"

However, the kunoichi was cut off when the figure floated down to a crumbled beam. It touched the surface, and starting at the stomach, a wave of light blue steam washed over it. Everyone's eyes widened in shock at who the figure was.

Kakashi swallowed. "N-Naruto...?"

* * *

***dramatically gasps* lol**

**I had to rewrite this chapter three times. The first reason was 'cuz I didn't like the outcome, the other being because it was corny (in my opinion), and the third time I rewrote this I LOVED the outcome, but fate and destiny were being bitches, because this chapter self-deleted (somehow).**

**Peace! :3**


	5. Obsidian Blood

**Cha0ticM3ss: well, the run-in Madara and Zetau had kind of gave some of it away. Thanks for your review :3**

**nathan waters 167: I'm glad you did. And Sakura's child is a canon character, so bit of spoilers here for chapter 700. Sorry I didn't mention that earlier, but thanks for your review nonetheless. :3**

* * *

_Chapter 5_

* * *

"N-Naruto...?" Kakashi murmured in shock. "Is that you?"

Naruto stared at the Rokudaime, cerulean eyes hard as stone and cold as ice. "No, I'm a banshee."

The group of ninja blinked in surprise and confusion.

The Uzumaki chuckled. "I'm kidding." He grinned, his monotone expression twisting into a maniac's grin that scared the Konoha-nin. "I'm a spirit, actually. And I'm not a nice one."

Kakashi blinked. "What do you mean?"

Naruto chuckled again, his grin widening. "I'm not gonna tell you—but it won't matter if I do or don't, 'cause I'm gonna fucking gut you all!"

Everybody's eyes widened in shock.

The blonde put his hand over his stomach, and the hilt of a katana was pulled out. He grabbed it, and pulled the weapon out. He was quick to charge at the two kunoichi that were not only defenseless, but dumbfounded and shocked.

"_Chidori Kōken_!"

Naruto's katana met the lightning-covered chokuto; Sasuke's blazing red eyes meeting excited and wild cerulean ones. The Uchiha gawked in surprise. "N-Naruto..."

The blonde snickered, his grin becoming a smirk of triumph and excitement. "Why hello there, Uchiha Sasuke. Missed me?"

"Don't hesitate to attack, Sasuke!" Kiba warned. "He's serious about killing us!"

"Kiba, Ino, Lee, Tenten," Kakashi said sternly. "Get the civilians away from here. ASAP!"

"Yes, sir!" Then, the group was gone, leaving only the three former members of Team Seven to fight.

"Y-you are supposed to be dead," Sasuke murmured.

Naruto laughed an unsettling laugh. "I _am_ dead, you moron!"

The Uchiha blinked in confusion. "W-what do you mean? You're standing right here!"

"News flash," Naruto hissed in rage. "_Nobody_ can survive bijū extraction!"

"_Raikiri_!"

A blade of chakra lightning stabbed into Naruto's shoulder; in response, the blonde's spirit body drew back into a ball of blue light, the katana dropping to the floor and Sasuke freed from his locked position. It zipped past Sasuke's shoulder, cutting into the shocked ANBU's clothing.

Kakashi stared in surprise, just as dumbfounded as his Uchiha student was. "W-what the hell?"

The blue ball of light manifested back into Naruto in a wave of light blue smoke. He put his hand on his hip, his triumph smirk returning. "If you thought that that could _kill_ me, then you _must_ have lost it. Kakashi, let me ask you this...can you kill the dead?" The hole in his left shoulder closed up in an instant—clothing, flesh, all of it.

"...No," Kakashi replied quietly.

Naruto started laughing again. He put his hand over his stomach, pulling out an exact duplicate of his katana. He charged at Kakashi, jumping up and swinging his sword to cut into the Hokage's neck. However, Sasuke was quick to interrupt with his lightning-covered chokuto, Sharingan spinning in blurs. In a swift movement, Naruto pulled a third katana out of his abdomen, but this time it was extended thanks to the wind added to it. He slammed it down onto the chokuto, and the wind disrupted the lightning.

"_Kamui Raikiri_!" Kakashi's hand was covered in lightning again, but this time he ran forward _through_ Sasuke and broke both of Naruto's katana's in a swift movement.

The blonde scowled, turning back into a blue ball of light. He levitated up to the sky, the shade of blue clashing with the evening sky. Without another word, the blue light zipped away—towards the hospital.

"Follow him!" Kakashi ordered.

Sasuke sheathed his sword, and the two jumped out of the burnt and crumbled rubble.

* * *

"So, when can I be dicharged?" Tsunade asked for the umpteenth time.

Sakura sighed. "You sound like Naruto."

The Senju giggled. "I dunno what'cha talkin' about."

The pink haired pregnant kunoichi raised an eyebrow, biting into another apple slice in skepticism. "Did you smuggle sake in, Tsunade-sama?"

"What! I would _never_!" The Sannin laughed loudly, tears of amusement prickling in her eyes.

Sakura rolled her eyes, leaning forward to sniff her master's breath. "...You're drunk."

"Pfft, am not!" she argued childishly.

"Are to."

"Am not!"

Sakura sighed again. "I'm not even gonna try."

"Good, 'cause I'm tired." Tsunade giggled, hiccuped and then fell onto the hospital bed, pulling off a corny snore.

"Nu-uh, you need to become sober again," Sakura snapped. "W—"

However, the kunoichi was cut off when a blur of blue broke into the window. Sakura quickly ducked out of the way, dodging shards of glass; Tsunade was knocked out oblivion, and she covered what she could with the hospital pillow.

A bigger shard of glass levitated from the hospital floor. It quickly raced at Tsunade, but it was intercepted by a kunai.

Naruto re-manifested into his self again, a sneer of annoyance adorning his tanned face. "What, so _now_ the great Uchiha Sasuke is playing the hero? Ridiculous." He hovered his hand over his stomach again and pulled out yet another katana—only this time, it was made of obsidian.

Sasuke and Kakashi jumped into the room, followed by two other ANBU and a rather young shinobi.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked. She glanced at Naruto. "W-wh...you're supposed to be dead..."

"And I am," Naruto snapped. "Don't get any false hopes, _Sakura_." He pointed the blade at Tsunade. "It was going to be Sai and Ino first, but I guess things change."

Everybody but Sasuke and Kakashi's face twisted into a confused expression. Naruto glared, and everyone but Tsunade was pushed back against either the floor or wall by an invisible force—and it held them there.

The Sannin shot up, fists at the ready for a fight. Naruto charged at her, teeth bared and eyes blazing with anger. He swiped his obsidian katana, aiming for Tsunade's stomach. She dodged, slamming her fist into Naruto's right hand. The blonde looked annoyed, but he wasn't showing any signs of pain.

Tsunade kicked Naruto in the chin, forcing the blonde to tip his head back to dodge the blow. The medic kunoichi pointed her index and middle finger at his throat, using chakra to sharpen her jab.

The dead Uzumaki pulled back, his hand hovering over his stomach again. He pulled out a dagger this time—one made of silver. He caked the entire thing in wind, and threw it at the Senju. Then, he put his hands together in a snake seal, the obsidian katana in his mouth.

Tsunade jumped to her left, weary of what the blonde was going to do next. Suddenly, the silver blade turned sharply to its left, aiming for Tsunade's heart. The Sannin ducked out of its wave, twisting her body around and jumping back to her old spot on the right side of the hospital bed.

A high pitched shrill of wind scraping against wind caught the attention of the ninja. Though they couldn't move, half of them knew that it was the sound of Rasenshuriken.

Naruto lifted the technique over his head, and threw it at Tsunade. The Sannin gawked in fear and hurt—fear, because she still had people to live for, and hurt, because she was going to be killed by the one and only Uzumaki Naruto.

Blood poured from her stomach as the wind-shaped shuriken cut into her flesh, and she fell dead, the technique dissipating along with her life.

* * *

"Are you _really_ gonna let a spirit run loose like this?"

"If it'll help him move on all the way, then yes. I will."

The Japanese female deity sighed. "Shinigami-san, that is not wise."

"Do you have any ideas?" the Shinigami hissed.

Amaterusa went silent.

"Good, now, shut up. The show is only beginning."

* * *

**"_Rakiri_": "Lightning Cutter"**

**"_Chidori Kōken_": "One Thousand Birds Sword"**

**"_Kamui Rakiri_": "Authority of the Gods Lightning Cutter"**

**"_Rasenshuriken_": "Spiraling Shuriken"**

* * *

**Caution: character death (lol, u mad?)**

**I personally like this chapter.**

**How's the fight scene(s)? I tried to make them as descriptive as possible.**

**Peace! :3**


	6. When The Sugar Declares World War

**Guest: I never said he _wanted_ to stay hidden. Thanks for your review :3**

**plums: I'm not one to write long chapters... Thanks for your review :3**

**nathan waters 167: she barely tried. When she battled Madara, she _actually tried_. But not this time. And thanks, I try to keep my fights as close to canon as possible. Ty for your review :3**

* * *

_Chapter 6_

* * *

_Three days later..._

* * *

"Have you found anything out, Zaraki?"

Kurosawa Zaraki looked up from his scroll, turning his head towards Uchiha Madara. He closed the scroll, nodding his head in greeting. "I apologize, but I haven't found anything _scientifically_ explainable for your request. But I had a few uneducated hypothesis'. Would you like to hear them?"

"Anything to explain why and how one of my subordinates were killed," Madara responded.

"My first and most logical theory is a spirit," Zaraki stated. "Or at least, a part of one."

"And that means?"

"Often when someone dies, a part of them don't move onto the afterlife. Like, a spirit would want revenge, so a part of them refuses to move on until it happens. But in order to prevent that—and this is only a legend—the Shinigami was said to send out reapers to brand the spirits with a seal to keep them from interfering with the world of the living," the Kazekage explained. "And the legend says that only a spirit who has come in contact with the Shinigami himself can break the seal."

Madara's eyes narrowed. "Is that even possible?"

"The Shiki Fūjin summons the Shinigami," Kurosawa pointed out. "The Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato used it on a child before his death. Maybe this spirit was that child. By now, he's gotta be at least twenty."

_So it was Minato's brat._ Madara thought. _But how did he get into White Zetsu? And why show up after four years?_ He decided to voice his questions, "How did he get into my subordinate? And why now after four years?"

"Hm... Was he or she there on the day of his death?" Zaraki asked.

The Uchiha nodded. "Yes."

"This is just off of a whim, but the spirit probably needed to stay in an organism that didn't have a spirit or soul already—just a mind," the Kage explained. "And even if this mystery spirit did get into contact with the Shinigami, the seal is said to be powerful—and very complex." He put the scroll back in it's spot. "If I had a guess of what this spirit wants... I'd say revenge."

"On me?" Madara questioned cautiously.

"No," Zaraki said. "Because by now, you'd be a bloody mess—unrecognized because you were so mutilated." He chuckled. "Good luck to whoever it's after."

* * *

Rain. It expressed a lot. Wet, moist, soak, drench...sadness. It told plenty of stories and spoke the dark emotions quite well—especially for all of Konoha. Funerals and rain went _great_ together.

The sound of a book slapping closed caught Sakura's attention. Her head turned to the coffin that held Tsunade's body. She sniffed, her tears hidden by the cold rain. The preacher pressed his hands together, and bowed in respect to the late Godaime. Sakura pursued her lips for a few brief seconds before standing up. She walked up to the wet coffin, placing a white rose on top of the bouquet that held red roses.

Sasuke followed, placing another rose next to his wife's. Kakashi followed, then Hinata and Hinabi, and so forth. Many were strangers—civilians who didn't directly know the Senju.

And when everybody left, the coffin was covered in white.

* * *

_The next day..._

* * *

Naruto walked briskly down the dirt path. His expression was completely flat and monotone, but if you looked close enough you could see the irritation in his blue eyes. He ignored the loud cries of the little creature spirits surrounding the pathway; each animal was unique, they had different wounds and different pelts. Naruto stopped walking all of a sudden. His head snapped to his left, where a human spirit was standing. His cerulean blue eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

The spirit looked at Naruto. Her brown eyes were glazed over with pain and confusion. _"I can't find him."_

"And who's 'him'?" Naruto questioned.

_"My friend. I can't find him,"_ the girl said sadly.

"You'll never find him out here, you know that, right?" the blonde stated.

The girl sighed. _"Can you help me find Hatake Kakashi? I can't find him."_

Naruto sneered, subconsciously spilling and directing bloodlust at the brown haired girl. "_Never_ mention his name in front of me like that _ever again_. Am I clear?"

The girl shuddered, her back stiffening in fear. The spirits of forest creatures ran away, quick to scatter from the danger of the blonde Uzumaki. The girl swallowed thickly, and backed away. _"O-okay..."_ Then she turned around and ran away as fast as her spirit legs could take her.

Naruto let the bloodlust go, and he strolled away with a monotone and straight expression, but if you looked close enough, you could see the irritation in his cerulean blue eyes.

* * *

Uchiha Madara wasn't particularly happy. His plans were slowly being foiled—he could sense it. Nagato wasn't doing anything with the bijū and the statue wasn't responding to his power. "Zestu, come here."

The black creatures head poked out from the packed sand. "**What is it**?"

"Bring me my weapon," he commanded. "And I want you to inform Zaraki to commence the sand's battle plan for war."

"**Are you sure you want war**?" Zestu questioned.

Madara nodded. "I am. Besides...it's gonna happen anyways. We'll start small—then it'll bloom into a full blown world war."

* * *

"This place hasn't changed in the least bit." Naruto chuckled, putting his hand into the packed sand that blocked him from the ninja village. "Same sand, same temperature, same height of walls..." _I wonder what_ has_ changed?_

"Hey! You! No trespassing!"

The blonde tipped his head back. He stared up at the guards, and smiled. "I couldn't find the entrance. I have a terrible sense of direction. My apologies."

The Sunagakure shinobi looked skeptical, but pointed east. "It's in that direction. Just keep walking, and you should run into it."

Naruto nodded his appreciation, "Thanks," and then walked off towards the east. After a few minutes, the gate came into view. Four Suna guards were standing watch, each on edge.

One of the guards spotted the blonde Uzumaki, and was quick to alert the other three. He turned back to the former jinchūriki. "Who are you and what is your business here in Sunagakure no Sato, Konoha ninja?"

Naruto smiled soarly. "I defected four years ago, ninja-san. I'm just a merc-nin now. I'm not included in the conflict." He didn't wait for for a response, and continued, "I'm here to visit Gaara."

The guards glanced at each other, each unsure. One of the older shinobi spoke, "Alright. Just don't try anything funny, or else."

Naruto nodded and smiled again. "Thanks." He walked past the four uneasy Suna guards, his cerulean eyes trailing to the sandy village. The streets were decently filled—merchants here and there, customers buying, families enjoying, and so forth—as he scanned the path. Most residents stared, mainly because a supposedly dead man who saved their Godaime Kazekage almost five years ago was walking among them like nothing had happened.

A shinobi-level chakra signature reached Naruto's senses. The blonde sharply turned to his left into a small shop. He scanned its contents; skulls with jewels, pendants with odd designs, 'ancient' swords protected by sheathes in glass cases, scythes with heavy gold wrapped around handles and purple cloths with silky golden trims drapped here and there. It was a fortune telling shop. He scowled slightly. _Corny__. Very, very corny._

"Ah, welcome, new customer." An old lady waddled out of the back room just as he emerged from the flaps upon entry. She smiled. "Have you come to learn your future, young man?"

_No. I just wanted to get away from your damnable living shinobi_, was what Naruto wanted to say. He pursued his lips, and decided to play it off with a sheepish smile. "Uh...I...yes."

The hunched old woman chuckled knowingly. "Good to hear, business has been slow today. Come, come; sit." She beckoned him to a stool that sat before a purple tinted glass table, crystal orb and all.

The dead Uzumaki hesitated. He was dead. Did the dead even _have_ a future? He didn't know. "Um...alright." Slowly, he walked up to the stool, and sat down on the chisled furniture. He intently watched as the old woman started making tea—and then added some kind of black sugar. "What is that stuff?"

"You don't seem to have any money on you," the woman croaked. "This type of fortune telling is free. But it's a bit like a riddle. This black stuff here doesn't have an official name, though I just call it sugar...even though it doesn't have any kind of taste in general." She chuckled at herself, and continued, "but this will give you an image of what your future might be."

_How'd she know I didn't have any money?_ Naruto wondered. He covered up his confusion, and smiled. "That's interesting. So that 'sugar' will give me a general image of my future, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," she said. She put the cup on a tray, and hobbled on over to the table. The tray clattered as she softly put it on the glass table. She sat in her own stool, and beckoned the blonde to drink it. "Here you go, mister. Drink up—just leave a tiny bit behind and your fortune shall be told."

Naruto had a look of skeptisim, but he took the cup and drank it in a few gulps. He did as the old granny said and left a suitable amount behind, and set his cup back onto the tray.

"Now, look. Tell me what you see," the shop owner ordered.

"Okay..." The spirit leaned forward and looked into the cup. His eyes widened in surprise at the image. _What the hell!_

"Young man, what is it you see?" she questioned.

Naruto glanced up at the woman. "I-I see..." He glanced back at the cup. "A circle and three tomoe."_ The Sharingan._

"Oh, that is ominous sounding indeed," the woman mused.

"What, so you _don't_ know what it means?" Naruto snapped.

"It is impossible to know everything, my boy," she wisely pointed out. "But usually these fortunes foretell one's doom." She frowned. "Tell me, are you on bad terms with an Uchiha? They might want revenge on you."

The Uzumaki shrugged. "I don't know." _Must be Sasuke, he's probably pissed at me for killing Tsunade._

"Well you should be careful, young one," the old Suna civilian warned. "The Sharingan could be your doom."

* * *

"Gaara-sama, Kankuro-sama is here to see you," a nurse said as she entered his room.

The former Kazekage nodded weakly, shuffling in his hospital bed. "Let him in."

Just as he said that, the puppeteer strolled in, a look of sarcasm and sympathy on his painted face. "You look swell, Gaara."

The former jinchūriki simply grunted, but didn't say anything else in response to his older brother's sarcastic greet.

Kankuro beckoned for the nurse to leave, and walked up to Gaara's bedside. He put his hand on his hip. "So, who is my lovely young brother doing?"

"Other than being fataly ill, I'm great," Gaara retorted.

"Don't be so dark. I came to visit my dying brother." Kankuro sat down on a chair. "And to tell him something rather important."

"What's up? Is it concerning Kurosawa?" the red haired croaked.

"Yeah." The brown haired jōnin pulled out a scroll. "I thought something fishy was up with Kurosawa, so I kept tabs on him for a few days."

Gaara slowly sat up and took the scrolls. He raised an eyebrow. "You kept tabs on the reigning _Kazekage_?"

Kankuro rolled his beady eyes. "Yes. But I had my reasons. Just look at the scroll. It's big."

"Okay...how bad is it?" the former Kazekage asked quietly.

"World war bad."

Gaara blinked in surprise, and opened up the scroll. He scanned it for a few seconds before his eyes widened in shock. His jaw hung open and his eyes bulged. "T-this..." He swallowed. "This is a plan for world war... What the hell is Zaraki _doing_?!"

* * *

As Naruto eavesdropped, he could feel his throat slowly sink to his feet. His close former-jinchūriki friend was dying. Then, he heard that the reigning Rokudaime Kazekage was planning a full blown world war.

The blonde floated up to the rooftop, softly landing as a wave of light blue steam coated his body to reveal his solid form. His cerulean blue eyes narrowed. "This...this is good..." He grinned. "This is _perfect_." _My revenge...it _will_ be successful...and Kurosawa Zaraki will be the key to it all._

* * *

**_Shiki_** **_Fūjin_": "Dead Demon Seal"**

* * *

**OMG. This took FOREVER to write (at least, the Naruto indirectly visiting Suna/Gaara thingy). But other than that scene, it was easier to make, 'specially the Zaraki and Madara one. I had fun writing that.**

**Peace! :3**


	7. Crackling Hypocritical Blood

**Sorry for the wait. Really. But in all honesty, I make myself write so many stories at a time, it's ridiculous. So, again, sorry.**

**Anyways, I have an announcement: I updated my profile. "Omg," you say, "big deal." I disagree; the update is huge. I have five stories coming soon, all connected to Of Demons and Shinobi. So if you're interested, visit my profile.**

**I also have an announcement: a requirement has been made by me. I want at least two or three reviews to post each chapter. Unfortunately, chapter 5 didn't get any reviews, but in the almost-completed chapter 24 of ODS: Part I, it will be excused should I wait too long (1 month is too long; 2 months is possible hiatus; anything more than 4-6 months means discontinuation).**

**(Inner: "DAMN!")**

**Alright. I'm just about done. Onto the chapter.**

**(edit: I apologize for the long wait and the hiatus…it's just that my muse has come to hate me. I put up (yet again) another story. It's called How To Cheat Death. Also, I changed 89% on my Coming Soons, so they all have different summaries and titles.)**

* * *

_Chapter 7_

* * *

_Two weeks later..._

* * *

Naruto's eyes narrowed. He stared down at the peaceful Konohagakure no Sato with blazing iris's. He lifted his right arm, pointing up at the starry sky with his index and middle fingers. His two fingertips glowed blue, lightning sparking here and there. "_Rakurai no Jutsu_…"

The chakra in Naruto's fingertips pulsed. Lightning sparked and crackled overhead, making the air become tense as it strengthed by each passing second. He was about to direct the attack, but he was cut off when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Why would you stoop so low, Naruto?"

Said Uzumaki glanced over his shoulder. Hyūga Neji was standing there, his face stoic—but his eyes were frantic. The deceased blonde glared at Neji. "That is none of your business, _Neji_."

"You killed a comrade of mine. It's _my_ business, too," the Hyūga hissed.

Naruto chuckled. "I haven't told anyone, and I'm not gonna make you an exception. Now, leave or else."

"Naruto," Neji snapped. "Tell me why."

"…No." The blonde glanced at him, his cerulean blue eyes sharp with anger and sorrow. "Die!" He swiped his fingers, and a lightning bolt followed.

The tokubetsu jōnin's eyes widened. He jumped back just in time to dodge a blinding bolt of electricity. He landed softly on his feet, pulling out a kunai and activating his Byakugan for combat. Neji frowned. Naruto was nowhere to be seen; it was just the Hyūga.

"I thought that the Byakugan could see _everything_, but I guess legend was wrong."

Neji whipped around, his white eyes wide with shock. Naruto was standing right there, his hand covered in lightning chakra. The Hyūga gaped. "When did you master Raiton?!"

Naruto laughed. He didn't reply. He just jumped forward, and next thing Neji knew, his heart was stabbed by the dead Uzumaki's own version of Raikiri.

* * *

The night was peaceful for civilians. The young ones were alseep, the adults were enjoying themselves and the naughtier civilians were being loud and doing whatever. Hatake Kakashi loved that sense of peace. It made him feel like a bunch of burdens were lifted off of his shoulders—and he had many burdens as Hokage. Kakashi blinked in surprise when he felt a sudden pulse of a chakra signature. _An attack?_

The Rokudaime got out of his chair, walking towards the window. He stretched out his senses, attempting to detect the signature's exact point. He glanced up at the Hokage Mountain. His eye narrowed. _It's up there._

In a swift shunshin, the Hatake was on top of the roof of his office, his Sharingan eye exposed to the world. He scanned the surrounding village. There were a few hundred chakra signatures that ranged from low-genin to high-jōnin. There were no abnormally high signatures, save for the training grounds. But when his eye scanned the mountain, he gaped.

Chakra. Chakra was _everywhere_. It swirled like a tornado, flaring and swirling. When he looked closer, he could see near-invisible hands swirling along with the chakra, keeping the energy in a near-perfect circle.

"What in the hell…" his voice trailed off as the chakra turned into pure fire; the instant that happened, the hands were coated in chakra, and the quickly became balls of fire. They shot in all directions, dragging across the village and making streaks of charred dirt, smoke and fire. A ball of fall was dragged by one of the hundreds of hands across the way towards Kakashi's office. He sped through a series of hand seals in a blur, finishing them within seconds. "_Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu_!"

The moisture of the slowly drying air formed together and created a ring of water. It grew within a split second and overran the fire ball. One or two nearby balls of fire dispersed, hissing as the water smuggled it. But the rest didn't stop till it reached they reached the eastern side of the village. Kakashi's lips became white as he pressed them together to stop his curse from escaping his throat. He knew who the attacker was. But a part of him _wanted_ it to be someone else. _Hoped_, even.

"Hokage-sama, are you alright?"

He glanced over his shoulder. He sighed, and nodded. "I'm fine, Sasuke."

The ANBU joined his sensei's side, staring up at the monument; specifically at the Yondaime's face—the spot where the attack had been shot from. "It was Naruto, wasn't it."

Kakashi sighed again. "Yeah."

Sasuke's Sharingan blazed to life. He stared up at the mountain. They narrowed suspiciously, but then he took his eyes off of the monument, looking at the Rokudaime. "…your orders…sir…?"

"Evacuate the civilians," Kakashi replied. "Get them into the forest. Naruto blocked the escape route we usually use. Have all able shinobi guard them. I'll deal with Naruto. Once you're done, join me. I _know_ I'll need help eventually."

"Yes, sir," the ANBU murmured. He sharply turned around and jumped off, shouting orders that drifted in the wind.

* * *

Naruto was exhausted. Using both Senju Jutsu and Tatsumaki no Hi at the same time drained a lot more out of him than expected. Add the fact that he utilized Raikiri to kill Neji on top, then you'd have a drained spirit. He sighed sharply, swallowing thickly. Yeah, it drained a little too much. Dead or not, fainting is not inevitable. Same went for exhaustion. If he had used Rakurai no Jutsu, then he would've actually returned to the Stream. He was not ready to go back any time soon.

"Naruto."

The blonde winced in surprise. If he hadn't sensed Kakashi, then his case was worse than expected. He slowly turned around, his eyes glazed over and his heart rate rather erratic. He smirked, hiding his exhaustion. "Well, aren't you just a wisp of wind? I didn't expect you to arrive here so fast."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, finally noticing Neji. His expression turned blank before he frowned sadly. "Why would you stoop so low, Naruto?"

Said blonde chuckled, turning back towards Konoha. But his bitter amusement turned dark, his exhaustion and tiredness becoming evident. "You wouldn't know…being the village pariah is not easy. I might have looked like I was standing strong, but I was breaking. Hiruzen and Iruka were the only things keeping me glued together before you guys."

"And when Pein attacked, you shattered," Kakashi finished somberly.

"Correct, 'ttebayo."

The Rokudaime internally winced at the familiar verbal tick. It reminded him of not only Naruto when he was living, but he felt the phantom pangs in his heart remembering Kushina, Minato, Rin and…Obito. He sighed. "The past is the past, Naruto—"

"Don't give me that shit," he snarled. "What the hell do you even know about spirits? They're always, _always_, stuck in the past. Not to mention, you've been drowning yourself in either pride or sorrow for thirty-seven years; all of it from the _past_. So don't go around telling others ridiculous bullshit like that when you should telling _yourself_ that."

The Hatake fell silent. He internally sighed. The dead boy had a point, but they were both hypocrites, so who were _they_ to talk? Slowly, the reigning Hokage made his way towards Naruto, but not even a foot away, a sword was pointed straight to his forehead. He blinked in surprise. The movement was swift and undetectable. "Fast."

Naruto glanced at his former sensei, panting with exhaustion. His eyes were dull, their remaining light fade. He glared, sending chills down Kakashi's back that surprised him. "You…stay the fuck away, Kakashi. I am not interested in being sent back to afterlife."

"That wasn't my intention," the Rokudaime stated calmly. "I just wanted to talk."

"Even so, I'm not interested," he hissed. "I never was one to talk. Don't you remember that?"

"How could I not?" Kakashi whispered to himself. He sighed, stepping back enough to distant himself from the weapon. "I just want to know…since when did you know Raiton? Or even kenjutsu in that matter?"

"I had four years, moron," the blonde stated sharply. "Four years to learn plenty of things from the dead that you obliviously walk by every single second."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Naruto sounded very sensitive about the spirits and afterlife. _Maybe I can provoke him enough to send him back…_ "And whom were these people who once walked next to me?"

"Everyone who died in the Kyūbi and Pein invasion," Naruto murmured sadly. His expression became distant. "Many of them…were people dad killed throughout his time. Most were Iwa, and a few of them were even Konoha rogue ninja's. Each had so much rage…I admit that it influenced my decision; it made me confident enough to pull this off."

"Are you avenging them?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. My benevolence has long disappeared. All there is left is a cluster of hate and anger," Naruto spat. He threw the katana at Kakashi, who easily dodged. But Naruto had turned into a ball of light. As quick as the speed of light, he shot forward towards Kakashi, aiming for his heart.

Kakashi himself was openly shocked as the ball of fire charged at him, blood splattering everywhere as Naruto re-manifested and stabbed another obsidian sword into flesh.

* * *

**"_Rakurai no Jutsu_": "Lightning Strike Technique"**

**"_Raikiri_": "Lightning Blade"**

**"_Senju Jutsu_": "A Thousand Hands Technique"**

**"_Tatsumaki no Hi_": "The Fire Tornado"**

**"_Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu_": "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique"**

* * *

**Yay! An update.**

**News: I have decided on a schedule for all of my storys' updates:**

**"Of Demons and Shinobi" will be updated every Friday or Saturday.**

**"How To Cheat Death" will be updated every Tuesday.**

**"Burning Winds" will be updated every other Wednesday.**

**"Bad Blood" will be updated on Sunday or Monday.**

**Thursday will be a day where I can just do whatever the fuck I want.**

**R&amp;R!**

**Peace! :3**


End file.
